


A Miraculous Summer

by BrokenRepeat



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Bad Puns, Birthday, Blood, Bullying, Cat Puns, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Fights, Friends to Lovers, High School, Identity Reveal, Summer Vacation, Swearing, Verbal Humiliation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-07-16 00:07:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7244299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenRepeat/pseuds/BrokenRepeat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette and her class go to a resort for their last year of high school and Chloe is determined to make her discontentment with Marinette and Adrien's new friendship very clear. Things get worse when some not-so-nice things are said to Marinette on her birthday and Adrien decides to do something about it. When the Ladybug is away, will the big bad Moth play?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mean Words and Supportive Kitties

“Girl, it’s almost summer and now we have to go on this silly school trip…thanks to miss drama mama over there. Can you believe she used her dad’s power to convince the principle to give her time off school to start her vacation early?” Alya huffed as she walked arm in arm with her best friend. Marinette chuckled nervously as she listens to the complaints of her partner.

“But Alya, we also get to go. It’s a school trip for the seniors remember? I’m just worried about being away from Pa-…m-my parents, for a week. Yeah, I don’t like leaving them alone to take care of the bakery.” Catching her words, Marinette stopped herself before she said the name of the beautiful city they lived in. As Ladybug, protector the citizens of Paris, it was a scary thought that she would be away for a week. Her Chat would have to take care of everything but he couldn’t purify Akumas. If something happen to him because her parents refused to let her miss a chance at a vacation at a luxury resort outside of Paris where she could spend a week talking to Adrien, seeing him in a swim suit, running, relaxing, breathing... Once again the dark haired girl lassoed her thoughts and reined them back under control. She’d told Chat she wouldn’t be around for a couple days without giving away exactly what she would be doing in that time. He’d said not to worry…but the heroine couldn’t turn off her dedication to her home or partner.

“Mari, you worry too much. Your parents ran that place for years before you were able to help out. You’ll be 18 before you get home, so think of it as a birthday celebration. Plus, Adrien will be there too~” Her face lit up at the words, of course Alya would know exactly what to say to pull her friend from her complicated thoughts. Marinette responded with a quick nod before forcing her attention onto the stairs in front of her. School was out and it was time to go home and pack for the trip that started Monday. Of course, despite her extra good luck, the blue eyed lass’ clumsiness won as she tumbled on the last step and landed not-so-gracefully on her knees in front of the one and only golden haired boy in her class. With her face heating up, the young designer could think of nothing to say. She didn’t have to once Chloe’s voice rang out from behind her.

“Wow Ms. Dupain-Cheng, I knew you were desperate but begging? How pathetic!” The yellow haired girl cackled like a hyena and rolled her eyes before making sure to bump into Marinette on her way by, knocking her again as she tried to get up. Adrien was expressionless for a moment before scowling at his childhood friend. He didn’t know why she had to be so cruel to their shy classmate. He crouched in front of her and held out his hand.

“Marinette…? Are you okay?” He tried to see her eyes through her bangs but they hung in the way as she kept her head low. Adrien knew her to be very quiet, but this silence was worrying him. Alya stood slightly to the side, staring at the situation trying to process it as well. It took a moment longer before she was at Marinette’s side, holding her shoulders as she stood with her. For a moment, he thought he saw tears slipping down her cheeks. A sharp ache rocked through Adrien’s chest as he witnessed a flash of her eyes, glistening blue…like bluebells, like his Lady’s. Just as she had done earlier, the blond shook the thoughts from his head and watched as his classmate was led away by her friend.

 

When mandarin classes were finished, Adrien had returned to the manor and packed for his school trip. He hadn’t been able to muster the courage to tell Ladybug that he wouldn’t be in the city for a week as well. It was so strange that the two would be gone at the same time. Hopefully Hawk Moth would be inactive for the few days they were away, or the Akuma would follow him so he could at least capture them until he saw his Lady again. They’d worked out a way for him to do so, it was incredibly lucky what a glass jar could do to the little evil butterflies. There were other things on his mind apart from his responsibility to protect the city and his partner, it was his classmate Marinette. She’d looked so shocked, so scared, when Alya had helped her up. 

Adrien knew Chloe could be nice, when she wanted to, but she seemed to have it out for sweet Marinette. As far as he knew it was simply because the dark haired girl was willing to stand up to her and put her in her place. It was no reason to publically humiliate someone though. He’d known her for almost three years now, and she was getting better at talking to him thankfully. Little by little, starting with the gaming tournament in tenth grade, she’d began to be able to have full conversations with him. Adrien was proud that finally, she had become his friend but felt guilty for not being able to tell off Chloe hours ago when she had been so mean to the meek girl that had fallen in front of him. “Plagg…Do you think Marinette’s okay? After what happened earlier, that fall didn’t look very soft and-“

“And you’re worried about your little girlfriend after seeing her cry, if you’re so concerned go see her. Geez, just give me some cheese first will ya? I’m starving and you haven’t fed me ALL day.” The black kwami buzzed lazily around his head, turned and groaning as he clutched his stomach. “Adrieeeeeen please, I’m –hack- I-I’m fading! Oh the Kwamanity, the great Plagg, lost to starvation after serving loyally for centuries. This is not how I wanted to go, but goodbye, goodbye beautiful Earth~!” He flopped onto his charge’s lap and gasped dramatically, peaking open one eye a minute later to see a slight goofy smile on Adrien’s face.

“Alright, alright, I’ll get you some camembert and then we’ll go visit Marinette…I don’t think I could fight her if she turns into an Akuma.” He stood from his spot on his couch and walked to the small fridge he kept in his room. Inside sat a small roll of his Kwami’s favorite cheese, which was sliced into thin pieces. He picked one and threw it into the air while watching Plagg fly from his fake death and catch the stinking cheese from mid-flight. “There ya go buddy, eat up. I don’t want to go there after she falls asleep.” Minutes later, it was Chat Noir that sprung from the mansion’s window. He knew exactly where the Dupain-Cheng Bakery was, not far from school and it always smelled of fresh croissants. However, as the sun set and the family run store closed, the smell began to fade. Within his mind, Adrien heard Plagg huff and yawn. “Just hold on, this won’t take long…I hope.”

He launched himself from the roof top using his baton and landed softly on her balcony, seeing the light inside on, or at least the light of her computer screen. The alley cat knocked on the wooden hatch and hoped she would open up. A few moments later, a pajama clad Marinette peaked through the small crack as the door creaked open. It took her a moment to register but soon her eyes grew wide and slightly worrisome. She climbed up and crossed her arms over her chest nervously. “C-Chat noir? What are you doing here…?”

“Well Princess, I wanted to check on my second favorite girl in Paris. I haven’t seen you in quite a while and I didn’t want you to forget this beautiful face of mine.” Adrien put on his best Chat smirk and tilted his head slightly to match the grin. He didn’t want her to know he was worried about her for personal reasons and tried to play it off as an innocent visit. “Don’t you look simply purrfect tonight, I’ve never seen you with your hair down like this.” Chat pushed a few locks of hair from her shoulder and meowed at her.

“I-I…I don’t put it up for a while after a shower, my hair gets all wavy if I do. Shouldn’t you be with Ladybug, or are you just out for a twilight stroll kitty cat?” She tucked her hair behind her ear after he pushed it away from her neck, a shiver running down her spine.

“Even cats need a walk every now and then, but I really prefer to run, or fly.” He flashed her a wink and leaned against the black railing that looped around the terrace. “How’s school Marinette? Is everything going well?” He needed to be sure that Chloe’s attitude earlier wasn’t still bothering her.

“Uh…school is okay I guess, I wish one of my classmates would really lay off on her queen act but it’s how she’s always treated me. I have no idea why, but she’s getting worse. What am I doing? You have better things to do than listen to me complain about teenage problems with bullies.” She lowered her head and sighed. It was hard to talk to him like this. She had to be both more open and more hidden when talking to him as herself. She had to make sure to leave out things Ladybug would know but needed to talk as normally as she could as Marinette. With everyone else it was easy, but Chat was different. He was her closest friend, perhaps more than Alya because she could depend on him to protect her life when they fought the Akuma together. She needed something to talk about, but the only thing on her mind apart from him was her trip. Would he clue in if she and Ladybug were away at the same time? “I…I’m going on a school trip this week, to a resort with my class as a graduation event. My friend keeps trying to convince me its good luck since it’ll be my birthday, but I really don’t know if I should go.”

“You should go! For sure! If it’s your birthday then you definitely deserve to have fun.” So, it was her birthday at some point this week. Chat made a mental note to get her a gift as Adrien. She had given him a gift on his last birthday after all and she deserved it for how much she goes through. Between Chloe, being class rep for the third year in a row, and her problem with always being late or missing class all together, Marinette had enough going on to keep her stressed. Now just to find out from Alya which day was her birthday? “Well, since the lovely purrincess doesn’t seem to be a damsel in distress, I’ll be heading on my way. I feel a scratch post calling this cat’s name. Until the next time.” He bowed deeply and pulled himself back on top of the bars, pushing off as he headed home.


	2. Awkward Bus Rides and Salty Rich Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally time to leave for their trip, and who else would show up to make things even more awkward than they were. And Chloe steps up her attacks while Adrien stares in shock. Boy needs to step up.

The class left early in the morning so that the group would arrive at the resort by lunch time. Marinette sat with Alya as always, however the seats on the bus were set so two would face two others. In the seating arrangement probably set by Alya, the two girls were across from Nino and Adrien. As they sat in silence, Alya glanced from the raven haired girl and the golden haired boy that would dare look at each other for a moment before looking away. Adrien was worried Marinette would catch him giving her a worried expression, while she was worried about him seeing her with goo-goo eyes and the silly smile seeing him always put on her face. The ombre haired female huffed and nudged her best friend’s leg, shotting a glare at Adrien with an exasperated look. Almost immediately Marinette’s face turned bright red and she waved her hands with a shake of her head. This caught the boys attention and Nino chuckled, knowing very well of his childhood friend’s feelings for his best pal. His heart was in the right place, but he really needed to learn what was okay to say when she was nervous. 

“Hey Adrien, are you as excited as I am to see these lovely ladies in their new swim suits? Alya wouldn’t even show me a picture of hers so I’m stoked!” He nudged Adrien who looked up and almost choked on air as he nodded and looked towards the girl across from him. She was cute, thin but strong and fast but clumsy. There were times he seemed so similar to his Lady but each time he had to convince himself he was being ridiculous. Marinette was special in her own way and he needed to stop making excuses for his conflicted thoughts about her. Relating her to Ladybug was wrong and unfair to her. Almost as if Nino was reading his thoughts, the grin on his face disappeared and he elbowed him again with a concerned look. “Adrien… Dude, Earth to Adrien! Chloe, two o’clock.” Before he could react, Chloe had seat-hopped her way to the seat beside him.

“Adrien, why are you back here with them? Don’t tell me you’re still feeling sorry for little miss tripper? You should sit with me and Sabrina. I did save a seat especially for you~” She leaned across the aisle, slowly tapping her manicured nails against his forearm. Adrien flinched but forced a smile towards his oldest friend.

“I-it’s okay Chlo, thanks though. I’m gonna stay with Marinette and the others. We were just talking about going swimming. Plus, I wouldn’t want to get in trouble getting back up there with you. The teachers did say to stay in our seats until we get there.” He tilted his head towards the front of the bus and Chloe huffed before she headed back to her spot. “S-sorry about her, she means well most of the time, but she shouldn’t say things like that…I’m sorry she talks to you like that Mari.” As if waking from a daydream, Marinette raised her head at the sound of her name. He’d never called her that before, only Alya had called her that, and maybe Nino ONCE, but never Adrien.

“I-it’s okay! Really…she’s always been like that with me. I suppose I’m used to it by now…?” She adjusted herself in her seat and tucked her bangs behind her ear. Adrien smiled softly, recognizing the gesture as the same as the one she had done Friday night when he had visited her as Chat. She really was an open book with how she felt. She went into a silence as her eyes met his, her mouth slightly open as if she wanted to say something more, but couldn’t. Nino and Alya watched them for a moment and exchanged glances before leaning back in their seats and their friends broke the eye contact and nervously went back to their stray glances and smiles. Another hour passed with awkward small talk between the four and finally they arrived at the resort.

Students were guided off the bus and given their luggage and room assignments. Alya and Marinette had of course chosen to be roomed together, but hadn’t expected to be assigned the room right next to Adrien and Nino. Alya couldn’t stop whispering about their good luck, while Nino kept giving Adrien winks and head gestured towards their shorter classmate. Both of them were too concerned about being so close to each other to be excited. Adrien was scared he would begin to think of Marinette as Ladybug again, while she was worried he would catch her being so nervous and realize how she felt for him. This week would either turn out very well, or very badly.

After everyone was settled into their rooms, the teachers called a meeting in the main lobby of the resort. Even the principle was there. Alya walked beside Nino, who had gotten Adrien to go on the other side of Marinette under the excuse that he didn’t want anyone to bump into her as they all lined up to listen, and hopefully his presence would keep Chloe’s shenanigans at a low. As soon as his friend had explained the last point, Adrien was quick to go stand at the dark haired girl’s side. “Marinette, psst… What are you most excited for this week?” He leaned down and whispered into her ear as they waited for the lecture to start. He hadn’t expected to see her jump and quietly yelp in surprise. Adrien apologized and held his hands up innocently as if trying to say he hadn’t meant to startle her. She seemed to relax for a moment before a heavy sigh that could only some from the other blonde in their class sounded from behind her.

“Can you like, MOVE or something? You’re in the way, like always.” Chloe huffed and shoved her hip against Marinette hard enough to make her stumble forward. Adrien had meant to keep her safe from the side, but he hadn’t expected Chloe to actually shove her. Before he could say anything in protest, the girl attached herself to his arm and smiled up at him, giving Marinette a nasty glare as she opened her mouth slightly. “Seriously Marinette, shouldn’t you be watching where you stand? You’re going to make Adrien stink of burnt toast if you stand so close. Have a little respect for him, alright?” He saw Marinette ball her fists as her sides, keeping her head low as her shoulders shook. Her knuckles were white as her finger nails dug into her palm. Adrien wanted to reach out to her, and just as he was about to say her name she turned away. He heard her take a deep breath and walk away from the group. Alya called to her but it fell on deaf ears of the crowd. Almost immediately, when the red haired girl turned to go at Chloe, the principle began speaking.

“Alright students, quiet down.” He waited for a moment as his pupils decided to listen to him. “Ahem…! So, as you know this trip is the final one of your high school years, and as a celebration and gift from the school to you graduates I am pleased to announce that there are no assignments or tasks associated with this trip. All we teachers ask of you is to have fun, create memories and be happy as you reflect on your time of the past four years. You have known each other for a while now and hopefully this vacation will give you a chance to really forge these friendships fully. If you have any problems, please do not hesitate to come to myself or any of the other staff. We have known you for as long as you have gone to our wonderful school and now that you are leaving us, we wish to make sure you have the best time possible. Inside all of your handouts, are the room numbers of all our staff members. So…with that out of the way, go have fun. The entire resort is open to you all and maps are provided in your rooms.” Students cheered and smiled, rushing off to begin their week of relaxation. Chloe tried to drag Adrien away but he excused himself under the pretence of getting changed into something more summer-like. He made sure to catch up with Alya first.

“Alya! Did you see where Marinette went…? Chloe she…you saw what happened.” He resigned himself to the fact that she had watched him do nothing in the defence of her and his friend. The look on her face made him cringe away. Guilt poked at his stomach but despite her hesitation, Alya pointed towards the door on the left side of the room. It was slightly open from where he guessed Marinette had rushed through. “I’m going to go talk to her. What Chloe is doing…it isn’t fair. I’ll talk to her too, and get this figured out.”

“Adrien, Mari knows why Chloe goes after her more than ever before. She makes it very clear every time you aren’t around. Ever since you started talking to Marinette more, Chloe’s been a total bitch to her. She thinks Marinette is taking you from her, and as much as you’re trying to help by being more kind to Mari, it’s making Chloe angrier. You need to do something about your little princess before she really breaks Marinette. How much is she supposed to take from this one bully?” Nino placed an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder, smoothing his hand over her back gently. He shot Adrien a worried look and the blond immediately took off after their friend who had walked herself out of the room, probably in tears.


	3. How Much Can One Person Take?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting tense and I had to restrict myself on the amount of foreshadowing in this. God help me and Im sorry I take so long to upload new chapters. Moving and starting University has not been kind to my schedule

“Tikki…w-what am I supposed to do? Chloe is just getting more and more daring and I can’t do anything about it! I can’t threaten her, and Adrien is her friend…” Marinette has curled up against a wall outside, letting the small red Kwami out of her purse. With soft pats to her head and gentle words of consolation, Tikki sighed and tried to comfort her charge. She had never seen Marinette so low, but after hearing what Chloe says to and about her on a daily basis it was no wonder the teenager was reaching her breaking point. 

“Oh Marinette, it’ll be okay. You’re almost done with Chloe and her issues. After this week, you won’t have to see her nearly as much, if at all. Things will look up then, I promise.” There was very little she could think of to help right now, or in the next few days. No matter what the annoying girl always found a way to hunt down her classmate in order to terrorize her. “Maybe you’ll have enough luck to avoid her this week and really enjoy your birthday. You know Alya is planning something, so try focusing on that.”

“You know I don’t want to celebrate…There’s just too much going on. I wonder how he’s doing…do you think everything is okay back home? I-I…Tikki if something happens I need to be able to get back and help Cha-…” Marinette froze as Tikki’s face seized and she quickly ducked back into her bag and pushed her cellphone from the small purse. When she turned around to see what had spooked her guardian Kwami, even the girl’s blood chilled. By the doorway stood Adrien, a worried expression on his face as he took a step closer to her. His mouth slightly ajar, making it quite obvious he was about to say something. In worry that he had witnessed Tikki, Marinette pulled up her phone from the ground and waved it in her hand. “A-Adrien…sorry I didn’t hear you come out here. I was- uhm… I-I was making a call home, to check on everyone.”

For a moment Adrien remained silent, his eyes flickering from her fearful mumbling to the phone in her hand. Maybe a video call, or she had put the call on speaker so she didn’t have to hold it close to her face. It made sense, but something seemed off about the whole situation. “Marinette, are you okay? Chloe…she didn’t hurt you right? With the push I mean. I’m going to talk to her, tell her to lay off and leave you alone. You don’t deserve that, and Alya-.” 

“What, what did Alya say?” Marinette pushed her phone into her bag once again, careful not to hit Tikki with the edges. 

“She… She told me about what’s been going on with Chloe. I wish you would have just told me, Marinette you have to know I would have done something sooner if I knew this was about me. I wish she could just leave you alone. Mari…Mari look at me, please?” Carefully, he knelt next to her and tried to see past her bangs. She turned her head away more, shifting her shoulders and then scooting away from him. 

“Adrien, please don’t. Chloe is your friend right? So…just leave this be.” Marinette could hear Adrien trying to reason with her, and as much as she appreciated it she couldn’t bring herself to let him do something to upset Chloe again. It would only make things worse if he tried to make her change her ways on her target’s account. Marinette glanced towards him and frowned, seeing the sad expression on his face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I just…sometimes things are better left the way they are, ya know?”

“This isn’t one of those things. Chloe can’t treat you like that, even if she is my friend. You’re also my friend and I can’t let her hurt you like this. I don’t...I don’t want you to get akumatized, Chloe has caused them before and I don’t think Chat Noir or Ladybug would want to fight you. I-I mean, they’re heroes and probably don’t like fighting the victims anyway but, you know what I mean.” In his rambling, Marinette forced a slight smile and leaned away from the wall, moving to get up. “Marinette, please just let me help. I don’t want your last high school memories to be ruined by Chloe’s abuse.”

“Adrien, I really appreciate the concern and everything but you really don’t need to worry about me getting akumatized any time soon. I won’t let Chloe push me that far, even if she did nothing would happen…” Her last few words were nothing but mumbled whispers that failed to reach Adrien’s ears. As long as she had her Miraculous on, she wasn’t susceptible to Hawkmoth’s villainy. However, his words did bring dark thoughts to her mind. Perhaps being turned into an Akuma wasn’t so bad…people always seemed to forget what was bothering them after being cleansed, and she could probably scare Chloe enough to back off without Adrien having to do anything. 

No, I can’t think that way. I’m LadyBug, I wouldn’t be cleansed because only I can do the cleansing. Chat isn’t here, he wouldn’t be able to protect people from me. He wouldn’t know not to wait for his partner because he doesn’t know who I am without my mask. He probably wouldn’t want to anyway, I’m just some girl with nothing useful to off-NO! I need to stop…stop…! Marinette shook her head, trying to force away the horrible things going through her mind. Adrien was still next to her, still watching her as she fought a part of herself that had been hidden since Tikki and the Miraculous had come into her life. “I’m sorry Adrien…I’m not really feeling well so I’m going to find out which room I’m in and go lay down for a while. Tell the others I’m sorry for ditching.” Marinette got fully to her feet and walked away, her shoulder brushing gently against Adrien’s.

Knowing he couldn’t say anything else to even try and change her mind, Adrien watched her walk back into the building, the look she had worn as she passed him burning in her mind like cinders. A girl with a smile like hers shouldn’t look like that, it just wasn’t right. Despite her arguing and defiance, he couldn’t let this go. Marinette was special to him, reminding him of LadyBug when she hit her low points. The way their smiles faded despite their battling to hold that faithful expression. He saw it a lot as Chat when people would be hurt by an Akuma, or the victim would remember parts of what they had done under Hawkmoth’s control. LadyBug always blamed herself under the pretence that she hadn’t healed them properly. It would usually take a few days for her true smile and smirk to return, though it was always welcomed because she came back better and stronger each time. He could only hope Marinette would be the same. Adrien sighed and got up himself, remembering that Chloe had headed to the pool. “We were talking about going swimming”. The words he had said on the bus came back into his mind and a frown crossed his face. She had probably gone there to keep an eye on them and harass Marinette even more. Although he had a long history with Chloe, her actions were beginning to make his blood boil and an ounce of hate start to grow like a seed deep in his gut. Mari didn’t deserve her abuse and there was no good reason for it. His friendship and time weren’t a competition for her to win, he gave them to people who made him happy, and Adrien was beginning to realize that Chloe no longer made him happy at all, she made him angry and frustrated. 

As Chat, Adrien knew that he shouldn’t allow himself to feel such negative emotions towards a citizen, but both Chat and Adrien were angry with the way she treated Marinette. Maybe LadyBug was right for how she treated Chloe when they had to protect her. So many Akuma were her fault, and now she was hurting one of his friends. He wouldn’t be nearly this calm if she was like this to his Lady, but it made him angry at himself for hesitating when it was Marinette. I love LadyBug, but Marinette is my friend. She’s…She is Marinette! Sweet and gentle, a little clumsy but then again who isn’t now and then? She makes me smile and laugh and she’s willing to take so much just because Chloe is connected to me. I don’t understand how she hasn’t been turned by Hawkmoth yet, he would normally jump on the chance to akumatize someone so good with such negative feelings… What he thought next was crazy, foolish, dumb, idiotic, stupid, impossible… What if Marinette is another Miraculous holder? Plagg said we can’t be affected…and there are supposed to be others! But why wouldn’t she go to Chat and LadyBug? What if she’s connected to Hawkmoth…? No! There’s no way she would be anything like him, she’s too good…too good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions about this story, such as when I’ll be updating or if by the unlikely chance you want to show me something (art or something) you can contact me on my Tumblr,  
> brokenrepeat.tumblr.com
> 
> Please don't be afraid to ask me anything, though I will try not to give spoilers to what the ending is going to be.


	4. Chapter 4: Planning and Hoping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya does her best to help Marinette, even if her anger burns as red as her hair at times.

As soon as she was back in the hotel, Marinette found the most hidden spot she could. It had been too close, too risky. She was stupid for talking to Tikki in broad day light in a resort full of people. No one but her, Chat and other Miraculous holders knew what a Kwami was but seeing a little red fairy with her would definitely raise questions. It took several minutes for Marinette to calm down enough to be sure her breathing was normal and any tension was free from her face. With a comforting pat against her pouch that housed her small worried friend, the blunette began searching for the room matching the number Alya had texted to her. 

The search didn’t take long with the aid of signs and staff which meant she made it just on time before her body gave out. Marinette waited for her best friend to answer the door, leaning on the carved wooden frame for support until she was able to throw herself forward and land heavily on the plush mattress of the resort bed. She heard the soft chuckle of Alya behind her, though it wasn’t very joyous. She could tell the other had much to say but was thankful she knew now was not the time. Instead of trying to lighten the thick atmosphere that had washed in with Marinette, Alya couched beside her and rubbed gentle circles at the base of her spine. “Adrien was looking for you, do you want me to text him?”

“He found me Alya, he knew…About Chloe, about a lot…I don’t know how but he knew! He must think I’m such a wimp now, can’t even take what little miss perfect dishes out!” Marinette sat up and glared at her friend. She hadn’t meant for it to be malicious but she was frustrated. She was beyond frustrated, and didn’t have a name for what she was feeling now.

“Mari, I… I told Adrien what’s been going on. He’s really worried about you, girl. What did he say…?” Alya pulled back, guilt painting her bronzed features as she watched her friend begin to break down in front of her. 

“I…I can’t remember, Alya. I just…I know I yelled at him, I yelled at Adrien! How stupid could I be? God, Alya, I-I don’t know what to do and now I’ve made a fool of myself in front of Adrien and he’s probably telling Chloe how pathetic I am right now.” It had been so long since she’d felt so helpless, and her luck and pride as Ladybug could do nothing to help her now.

She could feel her own walls breaking and all she wanted was to be with Chat, jumping over the roof tops of her home knowing that her problems were back in the attic room of her family bakery where Marinette stayed and Ladybug escaped from. She could fight Akuma, she was prepared to stand up to Hawkmoth, but that was Ladybug and this was Marinette. Marinette couldn’t even handle a school bully. 

The redhead beside her huffed, sitting down next to her best friend. Not for a moment did Alya think that Adrien would think anything bad about Marinette. She was too sweet for that. What she did think possible, was that just as sweet Adrien would try and go talk to Chloe about her behaviour. “Hun, we both know Adrien isn’t gonna go gossip with Chloe. I’ll text Nino and get him to check in with Adrien, so you can stop worrying. Hold tight!” 

Alya dashed over to her own bed and pulled out her phone, texting her boyfriend to do a little recon. The reply came quickly, but it wasn’t what she’d hoped for. Adrien had gone to the pool deck, but after going back to the room to grab his gym bag. Nino had thought it was just so he could swim or work out, but with Alya’s information he was starting to doubt that. 

“Mari, I’ll be back soon okay? You sit tight, order some food for yourself and watch some T.V. That will help you relax and then we can go get massages later, my treat.” Alya rubbed Marinette’s back for a few seconds before standing up straight and leaving the room. The only reply she had been given was a slow bounce of the raven pigtails from an even slower nod.

Wasting no time, Alya found her way to the pool. Chloe was easy to spot, surrounded by a few boys, a few more girls and Sabrina who was close to her side. Looking a little more, the redhead saw Nino across the way and Adrien beside him. He was half hidden behind a rock, most likely hiding from Chloe. Alya wasn’t too thrilled about having to go around the hoard of Chloe-worshippers but she did it anyway to get to her friends. Nino greeted her with a wary smile and open arms, though they weren’t for a hug. 

He could tell his girlfriend wasn’t happy by the way she stomped over, her hips swaying more than usual and her hair bouncing. He’d attempted to say her name but the air was knocked out of him with the force that was his girl. The determination in her step was jarring, literally, and Nino had to brace himself with a step back as he caught her. The chocolate skinned male was the only thing between the angry reporter and his best friend. 

“Agreste…!” she spoke in a low growl, pushing against Nino even more. “You have some serious explaining to do! Why are you here? Were you going to talk to Chloe? Were you going to make things even /worse/ for Marinette?!” 

“N-no! Well…I was going to talk to Chloe but I wasn’t going to mention Marinette! I don’t want to make things worse for her, just better. Alya, she was so upset, I didn’t know what to do and this is all I can think of.” Adrien came out from behind his rock a little more, trying to defend himself. “I couldn’t get over there, too many people. I’d just get pulled along with her pace and then I’d never get a word in. But then there’s no way I could get out of here without her seeing me and then Nino showed up all worried about you. Actually, it was more like he was worried about what you were gonna do…”

“Oh I’m gonna do something alright! Marinette isn’t thinking right, she’s upset… She thinks you went off to talk to Chloe about her being pathetic or something. You need to text her and tell her the exact opposite! Help her feel better, or something!” Alya pushed away Nino’s arm and took a step back. She inhaled deeply before breathing out through her nose. She couldn’t get mad at Adrien, this wasn’t his fault. “Just…talk to her okay? It’ll help.”

“You think so…? She didn’t seem too happy to talk to me earlier. Did she say anything when she went back to your room?” Adrien pushed a hand through his hair, pulling at it gently in his own nervousness.

“No, not really. Just that she saw you and she was freaking out that she’d yelled at you or something. It’s not like Mari to yell, even in the worst of times. I’m really worried about her, Adrien.” Alya wrapped her arms around her stomach, looking down at the mosaic tile pool deck that stretched out under their feet. Nino put an arm around her shoulders, unsure what to say about the whole situation. He’d noticed Marinette was acting differently, but Alya had never talked in detail about it. Now he knew why.

“So am I, Alya. We’ll figure it out, before the end of the trip for sure!” Alya had told Adrien about Marinette’s birthday being during their trip, and he wanted to make sure none of this ruined it. He already had her present packed safely in his suitcase. I need to figure this out soon, so Marinette doesn’t get Akumatized. There’s no way she’s with Hawkmoth, which means she’s at risk. I don’t want to fight her, and without LadyBug I wouldn’t even be able to cleanse her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for how long this update took. I lost a lot of inspiration for this fic and finally think I am getting it back. I have been in university since September and it has made it very hard to get free time. Please continue supporting this story, it is looking at how many have read it and the comments that drive me to continue it. Thank you for your patience and support!
> 
> I also took comments into consideration. I can't do longer chapters for now, just based on time restraints and how I want to split up the content, but I have tried shorter paragraphs to help with ease of reading. Let me know if this has helped or anything else I can do to make this story more enjoyable.


	5. Taking Action

Alya went back to the boys’ room to talk to them, hoping to find a way to fix the situation. Chloe needed to be stopped, no other way around it, and Adrien was determined that he should be the one to set her straight. Alya wanted Marinette to watch, so she could see Adrien standing up for her but Nino was worried it would make their friend too uncomfortable.

The group reached a decision, one that they were all satisfied with. “So, I’ll go to dinner with Marinette tonight. Adrien, you have to keep Chloe away from the restaurant, until I text you that we’re all clear. I want to let Marinette enjoy a good meal that isn’t made by her mom. She’s always nervous when she goes out in Paris, so I want her to relax here.”

“Got it. I won’t even mention Marinette to Chloe until tomorrow. Then I’ll have a serious conversation with her about our friendship. I won’t even mention Mari at all, that way she doesn’t think it’s connected. Alya, you’ll have Marinette in place tomorrow so she sees the talk right? And Nino will keep people out of the area so nothing goes wrong?” Adrien looked between his partners and smiled, glad to finally be making steps towards righting these horrible wrongs. 

“Yeah, I’ll be sure to keep everyone out. As soon as I mention an angry Chloe they’ll run for the hills, or their rooms I guess.” Nino nodded, leaning back onto his hands that help him upwards on the bed. “Are we sure about having Marinette watch, Alya?” he gave his girlfriend a considerate look, glancing at Adrien to further his point.”

“Yes Nino, we’re sure. It’ll be fine, maybe even good.” She chuckled at the last word and stood up. “Alright, time for me to take our girl for a good supper. Adrien, you text Chloe and make sure she’s on the other side of the resort. And that she stays there!” 

“Yes ma’am. Good luck, and I’ll also send Marinette that text to make sure she knows I’m not mad at her.” Adrien smiled and stood as well, walking to the door to see Alya out. “The day after tomorrow is her birthday, so we need to get this all cleared up…I wish we had longer though, just so it wasn’t all so rushed.”

“I know, but it’ll be alright. Once this all stops, Mari will bounce back quickly!” Alya patted his shoulder and went on her way. After walking back to her room, she collected the now more collected Marinette and got her changed into the nicer clothes she had packed. The redhead changed as well before finally telling the girl where they were going. 

“We’re going for dinner, and I have guarantee that Chloe will not be there so you have no reason to refuse me! Lemme take my main girl out for a friend date.” For accentuation Alya winked at her and took both of her hands. Without giving Marinette much of a chance to reply, the hesitating girl was pulled from their room and to the restaurant. Alya had gotten the all clear message from Adrien just as they handed their temporary member cards to the cashier at the restaurant. 

~

“Adrien, I can’t believe you asked me to hang out! Alone too~. It’s a good thing Daddy likes you, otherwise I’d get in a lot of trouble. All the way on the golf fields…no one will find us out here. Is that what you wanted, Adrikins~?” Chloe hung off his arm, tapping his shirt covered chest with her manicured nail. 

“No! No…I just thought, maybe, you’d want some time away from the crowds. It’s quiet out here, and you can see the stars. They can get hidden in the city. You always liked to watch them when we went to villa as kids so-.” Adrien rubbed at the back of his head, not wanting to make eye contact with the other blonde. He was cut off by a soft shriek and Chloe bouncing a little with her step.

“You remember that? Adrien, you’re so wonderful!” she pressed closer, her chest split around his arm. She was still wearing her swimsuit apparently, since the teenage boy couldn’t feel the pointy wire from her bra. Chloe had a bad habit of pushing up against him, and it had gotten to the point where he couldn’t NOT notice it. 

He didn’t have a response to give her, and she began rambling on Adrien could only hope Marinette and Alya were having a better time than he was.

~

“So, what do you think Mari? Is the food as good as the resort?” Alya was leaning into her hand, the edge of her chin rested perfectly in her upturned palm. Her copper hair was pulled into a ponytail and curled in a screw-shape. She’d dressed them both up and brought them here even when Marinette had refused. The blunette was sat with her hair down and straightened, her bangs clipped back with a baby blue bow. It matched the white and blue polka dot sundress that had been stuffed into her arms. 

“It’s good Alya, really, but we could have ordered it to our room.” Marinette glanced over her shoulder towards the entrance, worrying her bottom lip. She’d been at it since she sat down, the poor dry skin cracked and sore looking. 

“Marinette, you don’t need to worry. Chloe isn’t going to show up.” It was painful to watch the usually cheerful girl be so nervous. Alya had watched the paranoia progress, getting worse every day. Others knew about it too, though they would never dare interfere with Chloe. Since she had started going after Marinette, the blonde had nearly stopped her malicious attempts to ruin the days of others. Many of their classmates had watched Marinette stand up to Chloe multiple times, but with the full force of the attacks even she couldn’t hold her ground. 

“What about Adrien? I know you said he isn’t mad, but I… I can’t believe I did that…” Since the redhead had dragged her out to dinner, Marinette had left her phone behind along with Tikki. Without the device, she hadn’t gotten to see the more than kind text waiting on her phone from Adrien.

“Don’t you worry about lover boy! Everything will be fine with him Marinette, you’re friends. Good friends, remember?” sitting up straight, Alya reached across the table and put her hand over Marinette’s. “There’s no way he cares that you got upset, especially since he knows how Chloe’s been treating you. I know you said not to tell him…but he asked. I didn’t want to lie to him. Who knows, maybe it’ll be good. He already told her off on the bus, and he barely talks to her anymore.”

“That doesn’t excuse what I did, Alya. I can’t even work up the nerve to go and apologize to him.” She muttered softly, looking back at the table.

Alya thought for a moment before smiling. “I know! How about tomorrow, we go find Adrien together and you can apologize to him then? That gives you a chance to think of what to say. Don’t revert girl, you’ve been able to talk to him for years, we’re not kids anymore.”

“…Maybe you’re right. Okay, we’ll find him tomorrow and I’ll apologize! I can’t let Chloe ruin the friendship we have. I’ve put up with her for so long, it’d be stupid to give up now!” Alya hadn’t heard her best friend so sure of herself in months. It was refreshing and as welcome as a ray of sunshine after a storm. 

“Yes! I’ll get Nino to keep Adrien around. We can hunt him down in the afternoon.” She was more than relieved Marinette had agreed. Now she could get her to see the talk without much arguing. Sure Marinette could apologize to Adrien after, but the Chloe problem would be solved first.

Just before the dark haired girl could reply, the waiter came around for their plates. He left a few mints on the table top before leaving. Both girls looked at each other and chuckled, noting the slight smirk the waiter had gotten when Alya smiled and thanked him for his work. 

“You do know you have a boyfriend right?” Marinette stood up from her chair just as Alya did the same. They walked towards the exit, laughing together quietly. 

“Why yes I do, but I don’t think I did anything wrong. No harm in being considerate.” Alya hummed and draped an arm over Marinette. “Now come on. Let’s go get changed and watch movies all night, with popcorn too!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions about this story, such as when I’ll be updating or if by the unlikely chance you want to show me something (art or something) please leave a comment :) I do usually reply
> 
> Please don't be afraid to ask me anything, though I will try not to give spoilers to what the ending is going to be. 
> 
> ANNOUNCEMENT: I am in my final week of University so I will be writing more and updating more frequently (I hope). The comments you guys give me really do encourage me to keep going with this story. The support is amazing and I can't thank you enough. I'll keep trying my best with this story to make it worthy of all the love it's gotten!


	6. Chats about Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has some relaxing time with TIkki as company. Things are starting to look up for our protagonist!

Alya and Marinette had returned to their room without incident. The bluenette was feeling happy, which was something she hadn’t been able to say in weeks at least. The support of her best friend always helped, but it made a special difference now. It was a little after 8pm when they got in and Marinette saw the message from Adrien. 

She immediately showed Alya, though the reaction was less than she expected. It was almost as if the redhead had known the message was there. There was a sort of ‘I told you so’ moment. The plan stayed in place for them to find Adrien so she could apologize, but Alya had her own plans. She’d texted Adrien and Nico once they were back in the room, informing them of the time and place that the talks would go down. Neither male argued with the young woman, both knowing better. When it came to Marinette, she held no punches.

The binging of movies lasted until after midnight, though that only meant two and a half films before both of them were asleep. A pile of limbs and loose hair sprawled over Mari’s bed. Morning came slowly, letting both of them get a satisfying sleep. The darker haired female had been exhausted after crying. Tikki had snuck out after Alya fell asleep, wishing her charge a good sleep and sweet dreams as she did every night. Just like Alya, the Kwami had supported Marinette since they had met. It had been years now, and they’d only grown closer. 

Tikki was the key to LadyBug, but she was almost one of Marinette’s closest friends. She trusted her with everything, though not much could be hidden when they were nearly always together. There were plenty of things Tikki hid, but they were for Mari’s own sake. Some things neither of them knew, even if they could have. Tikki could have found out Chat’s identity plenty of times, but she didn’t try. Marinette didn’t want to know, so there was no point in the Kwami’s mind. 

When the sun peaked over the horizon and light spilled into the suite, both girls awoke. Stretching slowly, pops and creaks echoed. Marinette stood up, twisting and reaching. It’d been a little over a day since she’d last transformed breaking the record set near the beginning of her superhero career. Alya was groaning behind her, shoving a pillow over her messy array of curls and waves. Tikki was curled up on the dresser, waking herself as Marinette walked over. 

“Good morning.” She whispered quietly, scooping the Kwami up into her hands gently. The red mound whimpered before stretching. A tiny smile was directed up at Marinette before she woke up fully and lifted into the air. Alya was still half asleep, otherwise there was no way Tikki would move around so freely. Tucking herself between Mari’s neck and still loose hair, the Kwami yawned. “Alya, I’m gonna shower first.”

“Kay.” There was no effort or real acknowledgement in the word but both knew it was the best that would be given. Marinette took some clothes from her suitcase before heading into the bathroom. Tikki was still sat on her shoulder, her legs swinging slightly with each step her charge took. 

Once inside, the Kwami flew up and hovered around Marinette as she moved things around the room. Shampoo and body wash were placed on the built-in shelves of the bath, a towel was hung on the door-fastened rack. The young lady set down her clothes and sighed, tying her hair back into a bun. 

“I think I’m going to take a bath instead, are you okay with the steam Tikki?” Marinette turned towards the little creature behind her, smiling as she untied the strings of her pajama pants. 

“Sure! Is there anything I can float on, Marinette?” the little red Kwami floated over, looking around for something she could rest on. At first, the girl had been uncomfortable with Tikki seeing her naked. It’d taken months for her to adjust but now she was more comfortable with Tikki than she was Alya. 

“I’m sure there’s something. I wish I could take you to the spa with me, but everyone would see you. You deserve this vacation as much as I do.” Marinette began searching around as well, eventually opting for the smoky plastic soap bar dish that sat next to the sink. She placed it down in the tub a few seconds after turning on the water, watching it rise on top of the liquid. “There we go.” 

“It’s okay, you’re the one doing all the work after all. You finished high school Marinette, that’s such a big success. You also did it while fighting Akuma. That’s more than anyone else can say.” Tikki sat on the counter while Marinette took off her clothes, tossing them in a pile to be picked up later. 

“Except Chat, if he is in high school. We still haven’t found Hawk Moth. It won’t be as easy to be LadyBug once I get a job, so we need to beat him once and for all…soon.” Waiting a few more minutes for the bath to fill, Marinette then slipped in and sighed. The water settled and Tikki took her own spot in the rinsed out soap dish. 

“Once we get back to Paris we’ll devote our time to that. There hasn’t been news of any Akuma attacks, so maybe that’s what Chat is doing while you’re away. He was pretty relaxed when you said you were gonna be out of town for a few days.” Lounging back, Tikki splashed some of the hot water into the dish and relaxed into it. The weight was still not enough to sink the thin plastic.

“Yeah…He told me to have a good time, even though I tried to make it sound like it was a business trip. I wonder how he’s doing right now. Probably sleeping like most cats would.” She chuckled and leaned back herself, the water level rising the deeper she slid in. “I’ll transform tonight and give him a call. He should be out on patrol around nine.”

“That should put your mind at ease. You seemed more relaxed on Friday after he stopped by. He likes you Marinette. What was it he said…? You’re his second favorite girl, that’s it. LadyBug is the first, and you’re also LadyBug. You’re Chat’s first and second favorite person!” Tikki giggled as she rolled over onto her tummy, crossing her little arms as she laid her head on top of them. “Maybe you should tell him who you are. Now that you’re gonna be 18, you don’t have to worry about seeing him at school or something.”

“Tikki, you know how I feel about that. LadyBug is different than me. She’s my escape. I don’t want to get the two sides of my life mixed up.” Marinette lifted a hand and poked the top of her Kwami’s head. “I know you want me to be happy, but I don’t think telling Chat my real identity is going to help that.”

“But…” The fairy started, though stopped when Marinette shushed her and spoke again.

“But nothing. You know how Chat feels about LadyBug. I don’t want to disappoint him, I don’t even share his feelings. Chat Noir is my partner and one of my best friends, but I love Adrien. I don’t want to hurt him anymore than I already do.” She smiled gently, her hand falling back into the water. Tikki meant well, she knew that perfectly, but Marinette had made the decision three years ago to not tell her partner who she really was. They’d made that deal, and kept it until this very day. She wouldn’t break it. 

“Okay, whatever you say Marinette.” She couldn’t argue. It was her charge’s choice whether or not to reveal her identity. If she wanted it kept secret, secret it would stay. Tikki did know that Chat loved LadyBug, every Chat Noir had loved their LadyBug and the current pair were no different. There was something about the good and bad luck that attracted them. Sometimes their personalities didn’t quite fit together so well, but Marinette and her Chat were seemingly perfect for one another. What one lacked, the other had plenty of.

The two sat in the tub for a while, talking about other things that didn’t involve saving the city of Paris or cat boys clad in tight leather-spandex. They had to keep quiet as they heard Alya actually get up and begin moving around. There was no way Marinette could use the ‘on the phone’ excuse when she was in the bathroom. She stayed in the water for an hour or so before she felt her fingers brush against her thigh. The skin was wrinkled and puffy, which signaled the time to get out. Before she moved Tikki flew from her spot and dropped into the fluffy folded towel.

It had been a good start to the day and Marinette’s now usual anxiety was near the back of her mind. She’d come up with how to apologize to Adrien and now she just had to wait for the time. There was no thought in her mind of the day going wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Bit of a filler chapter I wrote because I thought we needed more Tikki and a bit of a happier Marinette. I am finished with school now so I will be working on this story more. I can't make any promises on releases but I am going for a 16+ hour car ride with no internet and my laptop in the next few weeks. 
> 
> This series continues to get a lot of love and it makes me so happy. So, for the comments I am asking you guys to recommend names for an Akuma that will be featured later in the story. You can give the name of the Akuma and why they got akumatized. I will put all the names into a draw and whichever is drawn will be used. I will credit whoever's character is chosen of course :) I want to allow you guys more say in this story because I am writing it for the fans that keep supporting me. It's the best way I can think of for saying thank you

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any questions about this story, such as when I'l be updating or if by the unlikely chance you want to show me something (art or something) you can contact me on my tumblr,  
> brokenrepeat.tumblr.com
> 
> Please don't be afraid to ask me anything, though I will try not to give spoilers to what the ending is going to be.


End file.
